It was supposed to be a weekend trip to the family cottage at Winona Lake. The temperatures were below zero, and snow was in the forecast, so I drove to Fort Wayne to visit my aunt and uncle instead. They gave me a tour of the city, it is much larger than when I visited as a kid. The most important part of the tour was showing me where the Allen County Public Library was located.
Who cares? Well this library holds one of the largest collections of books for genealogy research in the nation. The genealogy center
is on the second floor and there are always librarians and volunteers
to help answer questions.
In fact, my grandmother Grace Harvey, did most of her research there. The building is beautiful, fresh new with lots of windows and books. If Grace was alive today she would love doing research on the computer which gives us access to so much more information.
I spent two afternoons there. The first afternoon didn't accomplish much, but I kind of figured out stuff like where to park, how to use the copiers, where the restroom was, carts for picking the books for study etc. But I did find 5 of the family history books that were on my wish list. The next day I had a specific mission: to find Dr. William Ralston M.D.
There had been a biography about him in a small Indiana publication that included a portrait. I've been trying to locate it for the last several years. I found where the publication was located, but there is one volume for every year, there were at least 100 years. UGH. So I asked one of the genealogists for help. This man looked everywhere and it didn't seem like it could be found.
Feeling very disappointed, I went back to my work table to clean up my stuff and get ready for the drive home. All of a sudden this guy came into the study area, waving a book, saying "I found it." William was born in Scotland 1786. He became a doctor in 1815. Within several years he and his wife Agnes with 2 daughters sailed to America. He arrived in southern Indiana via the long route taking waterways and rivers all the way from Newfoundland to Madison IN.
He had a fascinating history with a large territory for his medical practice and pharmacy, his wife going with him to act as a nurse. They had a total of 8 children. One daughter named Ann born on Christmas day in 1836 and died on Christmas of 1920; became my great great grandmother. It is so wonderful to find your ancestors, especially if they have made a contribution to their community. But I have one question: How did Agnes have time to raise 8 children and be William's nurse?
Not quilting, but having fun,
Ann Fahl
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| Grace Shaw Harvey, my grandmother |
In fact, my grandmother Grace Harvey, did most of her research there. The building is beautiful, fresh new with lots of windows and books. If Grace was alive today she would love doing research on the computer which gives us access to so much more information.
I spent two afternoons there. The first afternoon didn't accomplish much, but I kind of figured out stuff like where to park, how to use the copiers, where the restroom was, carts for picking the books for study etc. But I did find 5 of the family history books that were on my wish list. The next day I had a specific mission: to find Dr. William Ralston M.D.
There had been a biography about him in a small Indiana publication that included a portrait. I've been trying to locate it for the last several years. I found where the publication was located, but there is one volume for every year, there were at least 100 years. UGH. So I asked one of the genealogists for help. This man looked everywhere and it didn't seem like it could be found.
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| Dr. William Ralston of Southern Indiana |
He had a fascinating history with a large territory for his medical practice and pharmacy, his wife going with him to act as a nurse. They had a total of 8 children. One daughter named Ann born on Christmas day in 1836 and died on Christmas of 1920; became my great great grandmother. It is so wonderful to find your ancestors, especially if they have made a contribution to their community. But I have one question: How did Agnes have time to raise 8 children and be William's nurse?
Not quilting, but having fun,
Ann Fahl
2 comments:
What an interesting post. Love genealogy. It's exciting to find out what went on with our ancestors. The one thing that I pick up on is those that lived a long life. I grew up thinking that everyone died relatively early in age, and while maybe most did, there are those that didn't. Thanks for sharing your days in the library.
Wow, you look just like your grandmother.
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